Trump says G7 leaders should attend summit

World leaders should attend the G7 summit scheduled for Camp David in June in person in a “show of force” during the pandemic, President Donald Trump says.

Leaders from the Group of Seven, which the United States heads this year, had been scheduled to gather at the presidential retreat until the crisis forced Trump to switch to plans for a remote meeting.

In a tweet, Mr Trump (pictured) said that recovery from the coronavirus pandemic was now going well enough for possibly holding the huge diplomatic gathering in-person.

“Now that our Country is ‘Transitioning back to Greatness’, I am considering rescheduling the G-7, on the same or similar date, in Washington, D.C., at the legendary Camp David. The other members are also beginning their COMEBACK. It would be a great sign to all – normalisation!” Mr Trump tweeted.

His spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany later told reporters that a face-to-face summit would be a “show of strength and optimism” where leaders would “pursue business as usual as we move forward through this pandemic.”

Ms McEnany said the administration wanted leaders to “come together at the White House”. “We’d like to see it happen sometime in June but as to a particular date I don’t have any announcement,” she said. G7 countries – Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States – take turns organising the annual gathering. In 2019 it was France. Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who hosted the 2018 summit, said any in-person gathering would have to prioritise safety.

“We’ll certainly take a look at what the US is proposing as host of the G7 to see what kind of measures will be in place to keep people safe,” he said.

The most positive response so far came from the French presidency. An Elysee official said that President Emmanuel Macron was “willing to go to Camp David if the health conditions allow.”

But German Chancellor Angela Merkel was cautious, saying she would “wait and see what happens.”